Any chance with Ruud Nijstad? BVB face stiff competition | OneFootball

With Luca Reggiani, who was thrown in at the deep end due to several absences, and the injured Filippo Mane, Borussia Dortmund has two highly promising central defender talents in their squad. Meanwhile, according to various media reports, another young player for the center of defense is at least on the black-and-yellow radar.

As reported by the portal Teamtalk among others, BVB is one of the clubs interested in Ruud Nijstad. The Dutchman, who is only 18 years old, made his Eredivisie debut just last October, but has already attracted significant attention in his ten top-flight appearances for Twente Enschede in his home country, prompting a number of renowned clubs to take a closer look.

From the Bundesliga, FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig are also said to have their eyes on Nijstad, who has also reportedly caught the attention of scouts from Manchester United, Chelsea, and Newcastle United. Other clubs from Europe’s top leagues have likely also noticed the potential of the Dutch U18 international.

Barca in the Favorite Role?

However, FC Barcelona is considered the favorite to sign Nijstad. The club reportedly made a concrete effort to secure the youngster in the winter, but was not willing to pay the €10 million transfer fee demanded by Twente Enschede. At Barca, the plan would be to introduce Nijstad to higher responsibilities through the second team, though it remains to be seen whether this perspective will be sufficient for the player and his advisors—especially if the 1.93-meter-tall left-footer continues his rapid development as he has in recent months.

In the latter case, it is unlikely that Nijstad will remain in Enschede beyond this season. Also, due to a contract currently running only until 2027, much points to a summer transfer. To what extent BVB will then make a concrete move likely depends on further factors, not least the still uncertain future of Nico Schlotterbeck.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.